Alumni Events 2015

The Diplomatic Academy, ClubDA as well as its local chapters organise a broad variety of events for DA alumni and students. We invite you to check out our photo gallery and take a look at our past activities. Here, participants can revive some pleasant memories and those interested in joining future events may find some "appetisers".

Each year ClubDA organizes a Meet and Greet with DA’s students to strengthen the ties between alumni and students, to get to know each other and simply have a good time. This year more than 40 alumni and students came to the DA Bar to celebrate.

For seven years, ClubDA's Vienna Chapter has been organizing an annual alumni gathering in the summertime. What started out as the Chapter's inaugural meeting has become a cherished tradition. In 2015, 35 DA alumni and students came to the restaurant Zur Alten Kaisermühle for a memorable evening.

'Modern Art & Modern Technology' was the theme of the DA Alumni Excursion 2015. First the group visited ESSL Museum in Klosterneuburg and enjoyed a guided tour of two exhibitions of Aboriginal Art and German Art since 1960. This was followed by a visit of the Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant, the only nuclear power plant worldwide that was completely constructed but never went into operation. Therefore, the group had the unique opportunity to visit the core of a nuclear reactor. Furthermore the participants learned a lot about nuclear power as well as the Photovoltaic Research Centre, which is planned to be set up at the site.
The excursion was again part of the DA's International Alumni Meeting which took place for the 17th time. Every year, the DA invites its alumni back to the Academy for a programme including DA's famous Garden Party ('Sommerfest') as well as ClubDA's General Assembly on Friday and the alumni excursion on Saturday. The alumni weekend is closed with the traditional Heurigen sponsored by the City of Vienna.

On the 2015 Ascension Day weekend, ClubDA organized its 7th Hiking/Cycling Weekend for DA alumni and students. This year, 10 participants travelled to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Wachau to enjoy the scenic landscape along the Danube River. During the program, the group visited the cities/villages of Krems, Stein, Dürnstein, Spitz and Willendorf.
On Thursday, 14 May, the group followed the "World Heritage Trail" from Krems - including the picturesque historic old town – to Dürnstein.
On Friday, 15 May, the group climbed more than 800 metres from the valley to reach the top of Jauerling mountain, Wachaus highest peak. There the group enjoyed a scenic view of the Wachau valley.

On 19 February 2015, ClubDA invited to its 8th Alumni Hall of Fame Talk. After opening remarks by Director Hans Winkler, Wendelin Ettmayer, former Member of Parliament and Austrian ambassador, gave a keynote speech on the foreign policy concepts of Europe, the Russian Federation and the United States in light of the current crisis in Ukraine. For a discussion on this topic, Mr Ettmayer was joined on stage by Hans Winkler; Eva Nowotny, former Austrian ambassador to France, the United Kingdom and the United States; and Christian Stadler, professor of legal philosophy.